Running a small or medium-sized business comes with its own unique challenges. You’re managing people, juggling day-to-day operations, and making tough calls that shape the future of your company… all while trying to grow.
It’s exciting, but it can also feel incredibly chaotic — not to mention lonely.
Sometimes, you just want a trusted partner to help you hash things out. Someone to guide you through the chaos and bring clarity when things feel overwhelming.
That’s exactly what an executive coach will do. They’ll help you:
- Sharpen your leadership skills so you can make smarter, more confident decisions
- Establish systems and processes to scale smoothly
- Strengthen your team and build a high-performance culture
- Develop resilience and avoid burnout
- Recognize your blind spots and stay accountable
In this post, I’ll introduce seven of the best executive coaches, specifically for startups and scaleups. Every coach on this list is a highly successful leader who brings unique insight and real-world experience to their coaching practice, helping you take your business, and yourself, to the next level.
So, let’s check out the 7 best executive coaches for startups and scaleups.
1. Eric Partaker
Eric Partaker is an award-winning coach, entrepreneur and author, who has been named “CEO of the Year” and featured in outlets like The Economist and The Wall Street Journal.
He has scaled over 100 companies to date, worked as a McKinsey consultant, and helped grow Skype into a multi-billion-dollar business. So he understands the challenges that come with leading and scaling.
What sets Eric apart is the rare mix of business acumen and high-performance coaching that he brings to his clients. He blends company-building and leadership development with behavioral science from Stanford University, as well as practical, results-driven frameworks that you can apply immediately. You can see Eric in action in the live coaching session with Ali Abdaal below.
Through one-on-one coaching or his acclaimed Founder & CEO Accelerator program, Eric will help you scale yourself as a leader, sharpen your decision-making skills, and achieve peak performance while building a company that lasts.
Learn more:
2. Allison Dunn
Allison Dunn is the CEO and Head Coach at Deliberate Directions, where she helps business owners and executives unlock sustainable growth without sacrificing their time, energy, or impact.
As a seasoned business and executive coach, board member at BridgeTower Capital, and host of the Deliberate Leaders podcast, she marries hands-on experience with thought leadership to create value for her coaching clients.
Allison’s practice goes beyond quick fixes. She focuses on building the right systems, nurturing the right people, and aligning her clients’ leadership style with their long-term goals – all essential ingredients to achieve sustainable success.
Allison offers both one-on-one executive coaching and a variety of business growth programs, all of which are designed to provide clarity, structure, and accountability. Whichever format you choose, you can expect a clear roadmap to scale your business and build your confidence as a leader.
Learn more:
3. John Mattone
John Mattone is one of the biggest names in executive coaching. He’s been recognized by Global Gurus as the number one executive coach in the world for six years running (2019-2024), and he’s coached leaders at the very top, including Steve Jobs and PepsiCo’s Roger Enrico.
He’s also a best-selling author, founder of John Mattone Global (one of the fastest-growing leadership training firms in the world), and pioneer of the Intelligent Leadership (IL) Philosophy, a proven coaching process that develops leaders from the inside out.
By strengthening both character and execution, John helps clients unlock their full potential while creating lasting cultural transformation in their organizations.
Whether through one-on-one coaching or structured leadership programs, John’s coaching practice is rooted in measurable results. He uses tools like LeaderWatch® to track progress in real time, ensuring you’re not only learning but also seeing tangible growth.
If you’re seeking a coach with global credibility and a results-driven approach, John Mattone offers a powerful path to transformative leadership.
Learn more:
4. Dan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan is the co-founder and president of Strategic Coach®, and he’s widely recognized as one of the top experts in entrepreneurship.
For over forty years, he has helped business owners unlock exponential growth in both their professional and personal lives. Dan has also written over 30 publications, including The Gap and The Gain and 10x Is Easier Than 2x, and hosts the Multiplier Mindset and Inside Strategic Coach podcasts, sharing insights that reach thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide.
Through Strategic Coach®, Dan offers a structured, membership-based coaching experience designed for entrepreneurs seeking clarity, confidence, and actionable strategies to reach their next level of growth.
Work with Dan and you’ll gain access to proven frameworks for scaling your business while maintaining balance in life, along with a community of like-minded peers for support and accountability.
Learn more:
5. Andy Sparks
Andy Sparks is an executive coach, writer, and former startup founder who works with high-growth startup CEOs and executive teams to navigate both the practical and emotional challenges of scaling a business.
Since founding Andy Sparks Executive Coaching in 2020, he has coached over 50 clients across B2B software companies, ranging from ten-employee startups to ventures generating $100M+ in revenue.
Andy combines a deep understanding of leadership and operational challenges with an emphasis on emotional intelligence and self-management. He will guide you to diagnose and address the root cause of your problems, build sustainable systems, and prevent recurring problems rather than applying quick fixes.
His approach is highly flexible, tailored to each client, and rooted in practices from a variety of fields like management theory, psychotherapy, and philosophy. When you work with Andy, you can expect a thoughtful partner who helps you become a more effective and independent leader.
Learn more:
6. Gena Cox, PhD
Gena Cox is a strategic executive coach, speaker, and organizational psychologist recognized by Thinkers50 as one of the top global coaches in 2024.
With over 25 years of experience, she helps leaders improve their influence, optimize performance, and build psychologically healthy workplaces. Her expertise spans mid-level to C-level executives across industries such as technology, healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing.
Gena’s background as an organizational psychologist gives her a highly distinctive approach to coaching. She combines evidence-based insights with practical techniques like 360-degree feedback, assessments, and role-playing to uncover blind spots and accelerate growth.
She is also the award-winning author of Leading Inclusion, a guide to cultivate inclusive organizational cultures from the top down. If you work with Gena, you can expect tailored coaching that strengthens your leadership impact, improves team dynamics, and equips you to create workplaces where both people and business thrive.
Learn more:
7. Brenda Bence
Brenda Bence is one of the world’s top executive coaches specializing in leadership branding. A Harvard MBA and former Fortune 100 executive, she is best known for her award-winning YOU™ Leadership Branding System, which helps C-Suite leaders define the unique leadership brand that sets them apart.
Her inside-out approach is what makes her coaching distinctive: she works with leaders to uncover the beliefs and behaviors that may be holding them back, then aligns their values, actions, and presence into a consistent brand that others trust and want to follow. The result is sustainable influence, stronger performance, and a leadership identity that feels both authentic and inspiring.
Ranked among the top executive coaches worldwide by Global Gurus and Thinkers50, Brenda has coached leaders across 70 industries. For executives navigating succession, high-stakes environments, or the challenges of leading at scale, she offers a proven framework for becoming the leader, and the brand, that people believe in.
Learn more:
Next Steps
Now you’ve got some insight into the different kinds of executive coaches out there, as well as some of the best names in the business. So, how do you go about finding the best-fit coach for you?
Consider these next steps:
- Reflect on your goals and challenges. What do you want to achieve through executive coaching? What problems do you want to solve? Are you focused on scaling your business, becoming a more effective leader, or navigating a specific transition?
- Shortlist 2-3 executive coaches. Based on our list and your own research, narrow it down to a few coaches whose experience and expertise resonates. Then, conduct a deep dive: explore their content, learn more about their approach, and get a feel for how they work.
- Reach out to your preferred coaches. Most coaches offer an introductory call or consultation, which is the perfect opportunity to ask about their methods, experience, and what a coaching engagement might look like. Use these conversations to evaluate their credentials and see if there’s a good rapport.
With clarity on your goals, thorough research and a few exploratory calls, you’ll be well-positioned to find the coach who can help you unlock your full potential as a leader and take your business to the next level.
To guide you further in your quest for the best CEO coach, I’ve also put together these resources:
- How To Choose the Best CEO Coach for You (a 7-Step Process)
- What Does a CEO Coach Actually Do? (And What To Expect From the Experience)
- The Ultimate Guide to CEO Coaching: What Every Leader Needs to Know
You can also learn more about me, Eric Partaker, and explore my CEO coaching services here. I offer both one-on-one coaching and group training courses to help you operate at your full potential, scale your business, and find balance and fulfillment in all areas of life. Book a free consultation and we can talk through your goals, assess mutual fit, and discuss your next steps.
FAQs
How to find a good executive coach?
Look for a coach with proven experience, relevant expertise in relation to your goals, and a style that feels like the right fit. Research their background, read their content, and take advantage of introductory calls to assess chemistry.
Who is the most successful executive coach?
There isn’t one single “best” executive coach. Success depends on your needs. Some of the world’s top-ranked coaches include Eric Partaker, John Mattone, Brenda Bence, and Dan Sullivan, but the right coach for you is the one who aligns with your challenges and aspirations.
Should I work with an executive coach?
If you want to grow as a leader, gain clarity, and overcome challenges faster, an executive coach can be a powerful investment, especially if you’re in the process of scaling your company. A good executive coach will provide perspective, accountability, and strategies tailored to your unique situation.
